LO FIDELITY ALLSTARS – STEPPING OUT ON THE STREETS AGAIN

Interview with Phil Ward

Almost 10 years since their last release, the Lo-Fidelity Allstars are back in the game, much to my delight. Post-tour, I spoke with Phil Ward, the man behind the resurrection, the block-rockin’ Albino Priest, about leading this new generation of the Lo-Fis 30 years on.

I’ve been Lo-Fis daft since I stumbled on their big tune “Battle Flag” walking to work in Edinburgh one morning; I said hallelujah (ha, iykyk…). Great track, give it a listen if you haven’t, it’s a proper hype-up tune. Yes, I listened to it before I wrote this. Yes, I may listen to it again.

Seeing them for the first time at King Tut’s was like stepping straight into the 90s, a sea of sweaty limbs and some serious moves. A crowd truly dedicated to the dance floor. I slept after it, like. They played a brilliant mix of floor fillers, delivering them with energy and bite.

“[The tour] was better than ever. Because everybody was reminiscing, reliving their youth, we played shows where everybody was dancing. Back in the day, when we were this hyped band, People were stood there with their arms folded, like, right, impress me, go on. Whereas now all the crowds are like, I love this band. Oh, I love these tunes. So that’s why I’m here.”

Once the dust had settled on the spring tour, Phil and I spoke about being back on the scene 10 years later, and the feelings surrounding it: “This is no false modesty; I thought nobody was going to show up. I thought, why the f**k would anybody show up after all these years?”, he said.

“I agreed to do these shows and then as it was coming closer, I was like, I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t do it. I can’t do this. This is too stressful for me. Because it was stressful, it was a lot to organise.” Despite his worry, the tour was an almost sell-out success- and they’ve even booked another run in November. “I loved it. I absolutely loved it. And I didn’t think I would.”

Phil made it clear to me that the tour was amplified by the band, a new generation of lo-fis with a fresh swagger. Alongside Phil, the new lineup consists of Hannah Dennard (keyboard, vocals), Britta DeVore (drums) and Del Vargas (vocals, bass). Exceptional musicians. Their performance in Glasgow proved they can really do these mental tunes justice- not a still leg in the house.

“They’re just 3 incredible musicians who lifted everything up and brought back all these songs that have just been gathering dust in my head,” said Phil.

It was clear to me how much Ward adores his new bandmates. Their family-like dynamic shone through our conversation about the tour: “They have completely elevated those songs again. I love them for that, you know?”

They have since released their first live single, “Lo-Fis in Ibiza”, recorded at King Tut’s, and it was as fun as it sounds; I can confirm. Hannah Dennard’s vocals are a lush, soulful touch to this punchy track that’s driven by drummer Britta DeVore- you can hear their enthusiasm through the track. Tis mega.

“We recorded all of the shows, and that was just the best version of it. [Hannah’s] vocals at the end are on point. It was amazing; by that point we’d done 5 shows, so we were sort of into it, you know? We’d sort of found our rhythm.” He then also said that Scotland has the best crowds. Thanks Phil! Correct!

We then got chatting about the band’s history, bursting onto the scene during the big-beat explosion in the 90s.

The success of the Lo Fidelity Allstars was unexpected for them; they blew up after one of their singles was used in an American film following the release of their 1998 album How to Operate With a Blown Mind:

“Next thing you know, we’ve played on the Howard Stern show, and playing big tours with f*****g Orbital and all these other bands. It was crazy. Crazy, completely and utterly unexpected and unplanned. We never planned to have a hit at all. Because, I mean, there are no hits on [HTOWABM], really. Battle Flag is a hit, but it’s a mad, weird pop song.”

But whether their success was planned or not, the Allstars remain important big-beat trailblazers and paved the way for some of the biggest and best-loved electronic artists today. Their revival is a blessing to the dance floor, and their spunky new lineup offers a fresh, invigorating take on these beloved bangers. Definitely head down to a November show if you can; it’s a good workout if nothing else…

I loved chatting with Phil; it’s clear to me that he makes music because he loves the process, and I’m delighted to hear that the Lo-Fis aren’t stopping anytime soon. They have new music in the pipeline, and their classic tunes are as banging as always.

Dig it?

Details of their November 2026 tour can be found at: www.lo-fidelity-allstars.com

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Ella Jay

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